Re: SB: Solar tubes/grey water resources

["Scott Willing" <willing@mb.sympatico.ca>]

Light from the solar tubes has a higher colour temperature than what 
we're used to indoors - i.e. incandescent lighting or the "warm" 
flourescent frequently used to emulate it. Directly compared to 
incandescent lighting, light from the pipe certainly does look blue --
 even though it's actually the incandescent light that's unnatural 
(skewed to the red end of the spectrum) not the light pipe.

Beyond a situation in which one is able to compare lighting of 
different colour temperatures directly, I would think our expectation 
of (reference point for) what constitutes "white" indoor lighting is 
at least in part a conditioned response. We've been bathed in the 
warm tones of incandescent lighting indoors (at home, at least) for 
most if not all of our lives. Perhaps it's even in our genes, given 
eons of fire in the hearth, candles, oil lamps etc.

Even so I think most people would quickly acclimatize to the tubes. 
The brain is remarkably adaptable that way.

The only thing I can imagine that could further skew the comparison 
is if the solar tubes are installed such that they never receive 
direct sunlight. If they're only getting skylight, that would lend a 
genuinely blue cast.

BTW, I suppose if someone couldn't get used to the colour temperature 
provided by the light pipe, they could resort to appropriate gels 
(filters) made for stage/theatre lighting instruments. Throws away 
some of the free illumination of course.  

-=s

On 20 Nov 2002 at 8:23, waterlady Frommer wrote:
> Barbaa wrote:
> >I have a friend who put in several solar tubes in a remodel.  In a
> >second remodel after a fire she removed them.  The light from those I
> >saw is very like a blue flourescent light, quite unnatural looking. 
> >I'm not sure of the brand, but suggest you might look at some
> >installed before ordering.
> 
> The light from the Solar tubes looks completely natural.  I would be
> the first to note if it look like fluorescent since I can't stand that
> kind of light. susan
> 
> 
> 
> 
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